Friday 10:58 pm: One day closer, now a 6 day out forecast model for Santa’s route to Laredo!

Friday from the American Meteorological Society concerning the government announcement of the closing of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR):

Friday 3:04 pm: Big Picture Weathermap: A mild Rocky Mountain airmass is exiting to our east. Very warm air is expanding north and east from northern Mexico. After possible patches of fog at dawn, low/mid 50’s, high 80’s, sunny Saturday afternoon.

More excellent perspective on the importance and real world impact of NCAR in many disciplines, informed human endeavors and understanding.

Important to reach out to your congressman on this. I was brief in my remarks, Dr Shepherd‘s article linked in my reach out:

Friday 8:30 am: Dry mild/warm afternoon with low humidity. Cannot rule out patches of fog dawn Saturday and Sunday, but increasingly warm as warmth expands east and northeast from northern Mexico. Mid/high 80’s Saturday pm, low/mid 80’s Sunday pm.

Friday 12:40 am: An early look at the weather that Santa will experience as he travels to Laredo:

Friday 12:04 am: Great detail in this summary of the breadth of what NCAR does. Way too important to our nation to be caught up in politics:

Not going down, not down for the count…

Thursday 9:21 pm: A brief appearance of desert air today, reached 89F, equaling record set at Laredo Airport in 2012. Our 283rd 80F+ day, McAllen with their 299th day. 70’s in Rocky Mountain air Friday, then an extended period of mostly 80F+ days to beyond Christmas Day.

Thursday 4:34 pm: Big Picture Weathermap: 88F so far in dry warm air from northern Mexico. Cooler air from the Rockies will bring high 40's at dawn, clear skies. As the cool airmass departs to our east, mid 70's Friday afternoon.

Thursday 9:16 am: Dry warm air will clear our skies by mid/late morning. Sunny with low afternoon humidity, mid 80’s. Cooler air from the Rockies will follow, high 40’s at dawn, mid 70’s Friday afternoon.

Thursday 12:32 am: A bit windy in northwestern South Dakota as Arctic Air sweeps in, Buffalo is 37F with gusts to 96 mph. Glasgow, further north in northeastern Montana now down to 4F with winds gusting to 52 mph.

More from Sean on the government’s announcement of the intention to close the leading earth science system (from bottom of the ocean to the sun) and atmospheric science research facility on the planet:

Wednesday 4:25 pm: Big Picture Weathermap: Gulf air did not reach as far west as us today. Enough breaks in the clouds to top 70F as warmer air from above mixed in. Much drier warm air will rush in from the west midday Thursday. Fog possible early, low 80's, low humidity mid pm.

Good discussion on how science writ large works (I think of the Manhattan Project, Los Alamos and satellite facilities around the nation), and the breadth of the span of research activities at NCAR:

Wednesday 11:39 am: Neat new tools in the toolbox! www.noaa.gov/news-release...

Wednesday 11:26 am: Excellent overview of the critical importance of NCAR to the atmospheric sciences and processes from the ocean’s floor to the sun. A quote from the article (Bob Henson):

I can’t help feeling that there is a feeling that there is nothing new left to invent, let’s close down the Patent Office…

Wednesday 9:15 am: A shallow layer of moist cool air remains in the lower atmosphere over our area. A mostly cloudy day, mid/high 60’s pm. Drier, warm air from the west clears clouds midday Thursday with 80’s pm.

This from NCAR and UCAR:

This:

@wildweatherdan.bsky.social @donpaulweather.bsky.social @drshepherd2013.bsky.social Hard to express my disgust with this news…

Tuesday 4:30 pm: Big Picture Weathermap: Low cloud, some drizzle developing over our area as moist gulf air lifts above our increasingly shallow layer of cool air. 50's, some drizzle through early morning. May reach 70F as warmer air arrives at the surface late Wednesday pm.

Tuesday 8:55 am: The coldest air is moving to our east. Warmer moist gulf air will slowly edge west across south Texas, may take until late Wednesday to reach our area. The gulf air is already arriving aloft with cloudy skies, showers possible overnight. Low 60’s today.

Yakima, Washington has been to 71F today, only 3rd time as high as 70F on a December day with records going back to 1946. The other 2 such days was 5 days ago!, and December 1, 2021.

Monday 4:26 pm: Big Picture Weathermap: A cool airmass remains in control of south Texas weather. A wind shift boundary will form Tuesday as the leading edge of warmer moist gulf air. 60's Tuesday. The warmer winds will reach west to Laredo Wednesday, ~70F, 80F warmth Thursday.

Monday 11:55 am: The layer of moist air above our cool airmass has thinned out from the east, allowing for the low cloud to mix away as far west as our area. Partly cloudy, may have some periods of cloudier skies, high 50’s to ~60F.

Monday 8:19 am: A cool airmass remains capped by a thin layer of moist air. A mainly cloudy cool combination, a few breaks in the cloud possible in the afternoon. Upper 50’s this afternoon.

Sunday 4:25 pm: Big Picture Weathermap: A large, much cooler airmass will be our weather control through Tuesday. Moist gulf air above 3,000' altitude caps the cold air, bringing a gray, chilly period. Mid 40's dawn, mid/high 50's Monday afternoon.

Sunday 9:09 am: The leading edge of a colder airmass is now flowing into our area. Patches of showers possible during today, a few briefly heavier ones now in Zapata County. Temperatures will drop into the 50’s this afternoon.

Saturday 11:21 pm: Leading edge of cool airmass now passing through the Austin area and entering the Hill Country. Should arrive in Laredo ~7-8 am. 60’s when front arrives, breezy, patches of showers, 50’s during the afternoon.

Saturday 3:03 pm: Low cloud mixed away as drier airmass stirred in from above!

Saturday 2:51 pm: Cloud is mixing out, partly cloudy this afternoon, high 60’s. Cold front arrives Sunday morning, chance of showers, 50’s am, upper 50’s to near 60 pm.

Saturday 1:31 pm: Western edge of cloud deck in Webb and Zapata counties has stopped mixing away from the west, May take a bit longer to mix away in our part of Webb County. How high into the 70’s will be determined by how quickly the cloud mixes away.

@vortexjeff.bsky.social Saturday 12:34 pm: Nice band of snow!

Saturday 12:25 pm: Low cloud mixing away from the edges, should clear up between 1 and 2 pm, upper 70’s late afternoon.

Saturday 12:15 pm: Just Because Department: A look at weather systems across much of the northern hemisphere Saturday 6 am CST/12 UTC.

Saturday 9:54 am: Dry warm air above our moist gulf air will stir in, mixing low cloud/fog away early afternoon. Enough sun to reach upper 70’s. Much cooler airmass from Great Plains arrives early/mid Sunday morning, slight shower chance, 60’s dawn, high 50’s to 60 pm.

Friday 3:50 pm: Big Picture Weathermap: Warm air will continue Saturday as front in north Texas will stall to our north. A shallow layer of moist gulf air will be sufficient for low cloud, possible fog late tonight/Saturday morning, 60’s dawn. Some sun, upper 70’s/~80F pm.

Friday 3:20 pm: Amazing to see the shallow layer of saturated air, capped by warm dry air over Fresno. Compare with forecast sounding near Yosemite, high above the Central Valley fog!

Friday 10:03 am: Warm moist air has returned in the lower atmosphere with low cloud. Drier air above will stir in, mixing the low cloud away midday/early pm. Enough afternoon sun to reach upper 70’s to low 80’s.

Thursday 4:07 pm: Big Picture Weathermap: Warm air is expanding east and north into our area as a mild airmass exits to the east. Patches of fog, possibly dense at dawn as a very shallow layer of gulf air returns, capped by warm dry air above. Clearing late morning, upper 70's.

Thursday 8:57 am: Cool air is exiting to our east. Today will be a transitional day toward warmer air expanding north and east into our area Friday. Sunny, low/mid 70’s today. 80F warmth Friday.

Wednesday 11:48 pm: Miami and Yuma at 66F, warmest in continental U.S. (excepting Key West)…and Wenatchee, Washington! Warm air is flowing from the Pacific through Washington state into western Nebraska. Further east, cold air flowing out of Canada into mid Mississippi Valley.

Wednesday 5:55 pm: Just Because Department: A shallow layer of saturated air is over the California’s Central Valley. Very little mixing of the dry warm air above, a foggy day in the bowl of the valley! Freezing fog dawn in Charleston, SC in razor thin layer of sub freezing air!

Wednesday 4:33 pm: Just Because Department: Yakima, Washington has been to at least 71F, previous record for December 10 was 64F in 1946. Only other December 70+F day was 72F December 1, 2021. Sudden rise in temperature as warm front passed through with arrival of southwest wind!

Wednesday 4:08 pm: Big Picture Weathermap: A mild Rocky Mountain airmass will bring low 70's with bright sunshine Thursday after an upper 40's dawn. Not as warm as today's 83F.

Wednesday 9:04 am: Warm air is spreading into our area from northern Mexico bringing 80F warmth today. Sun through milky white thin cirrus clouds. Mild dry Rocky Mountain air has moved into the central Great Plains and will bring low/mid 70’s Thursday.